Dreams of Remembrence
by exclamation
Summary: Sequel to The Forgotten Power. Tommy dreams of the Rangers. When there are reports of monsters in Briarwood, he and Jason investigate, to discover that other people have been having the same dreams.
1. Burning Part One

This story is the sequel to The Forgotten Power, which has been nominated for both the Best All Round and the Best Drama categories in Hope for the World Fanfiction Awards.

I'd really recommend reading Forgotten Power before this one as the entire basis for this story depends on the first one.

**Burning Part One**

Burning pain coursed up his arm, filling his entire being. It was as though lava was flowing through his blood, carrying the agony every point of his body. He was screaming, but his ears didn't register the sound. He just felt the searing fire that was consuming him.

"Those who play with fire are certain to be burned." He wasn't sure if he heard the voice, or imagined it, or felt it somehow inside his mind. It sounded like his own voice.

"Burn brightly. Burn forever."

The pain tore through him, tearing at his body and soul. He fought to remember who he was, why he was here, before the fire burned it all away. He had to hold on to some piece of himself.

The dreams.

They'd come because of the dreams.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Tommy was fighting. He wasn't quite sure who or what, but he was aware that he was losing. He was struggling against a foe that was stronger than he was and far more powerful.

"Why don't you morph, Ranger?" a voice asked. Someone, somewhere was calling out for his help, calling for the Power Rangers.

He tried to explain that he couldn't. He wasn't a Ranger anymore. Whatever he was fighting didn't seem to think that made it worth stopping and the voice kept screaming out for help.

"Tommy!" someone called, "Tommy, you're dreaming."

His eyes snapped open. In the dim light of the bedroom he made out a shadow standing beside his bed. He was just about awake enough to assume it was Jason and not whatever monster he'd been fighting in his nightmare. He must have been making a lot of noise to wake Jason up.

"Another Ranger nightmare?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," said Tommy. He reached out for the switch of his bedside lamp, using the other arm to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness. The clock told him it was 3am.

"I'll go make us a drink," Jason said.

"I'm fine. You go back to bed."

Jason grinned and repeated, "I'll make us a drink."

A few minutes later, Tommy walked into the kitchen to see Jason sat at the table. There were two glasses, each with a white liquid inside.

"Warm milk?" he asked, slipping into the seat across from Jase.

"My mum swears by it."

Tommy drank, but somehow he didn't think warm milk was likely to help him. At the moment, he was feeling drained and depressed from exhaustion. It had been two weeks since he'd had a good night's sleep. If he went back upstairs now and tried to sleep, he'd wake up again, fighting an unbeatable enemy.

"Do you regret giving up your powers?" Jason asked.

"I think it's more than that. People just don't get the same nightmares every time they go to sleep. I think there's something going on."

"Maybe you've forgotten, but you won, Tommy. There are no bad guys anymore. Whatever's going on inside your head is because of you, not some monster playing with your dreams."

"Maybe," said Tommy. He was still struggling with the idea of freedom, even after a couple of months of normal life. There were times when he looked over his shoulder, waiting for the monsters to come out of the shadows.

"Your problem," Jason said, "is that you're an addict. Unfortunately, there aren't any groups you can go to where you stand up and say, 'Hi, I'm Tommy Oliver and I'm addicted to saving the world'. You still feel on some level that you should be fighting, hence the bad dreams."

Tommy chuckled. "Are you sure you're not secretly a psychologist?"

"Superheroes aren't the only ones who get secret identities," Jason grinned. Then he yawned.

"Go back to bed," Tommy insisted, "I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," he lied. He watched Jason leave then he headed through to the study. Not long ago it had been his study. Now it was 'the'. It made sense. Jason used it during the day when Tommy was at school, Tommy used it in the evenings for marking homework and writing lesson plans. But in this exhausted, melancholy state of mind, Tommy couldn't help wonder when this had stopped being his house.

Jason had only intended to stay for a few days, because the other option had been going back to Florida with Kimberly. But he hadn't found himself an apartment very quickly, so Jase had stayed a little longer. And then, at some point, he'd stopped looking for somewhere else. It had been more than a year now and the spare bedroom had become Jason's room without either of them seeming to notice at the time.

He was glad Jason was here. He liked the company and it meant he frequently came home from school to find dinner ready and waiting for him. He was especially glad now, with the nightmares plaguing him every night, that there was someone nearby who would listen about the Rangers. Sure, he could talk to Hayley, but it wasn't the same. She hadn't seen herself die on the screen of Billy's machine.

Tommy turned on his computer and logged onto the net. His homepage loaded up with the news headlines. He stared at the picture associated with the top story and tried to work out why the girl's face looked so familiar.

Then he read the story.

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Jason woke up early, despite the fact his body and mind both wanted to stay curled up under the covers. He got in a pattern of waking at a certain time and so he woke, even when he still needed the sleep and didn't have anything urgent to get up for. He pulled himself up off the mattress and headed downstairs, avoiding the creaky step to make sure he didn't wake Tommy.

That proved to be unnecessary, since Tommy was sat in the study staring at his computer screen.

"You'd better not have been there since I went to bed," Jason said.

"Um... possibly," Tommy said guiltily. "Come read this."

Jason walked over to him and looked over Tommy's shoulder at the computer screen.

"'Teenager attacked by monster?'" Jason read, "It's probably some guy in a mask. This doesn't mean it's anything Rangerish."

"This is the girl who was attacked." Tommy clicked on a new window, bringing up a picture of a skinny brunette.

"She looks kind of familiar," Jason said.

"She should." Tommy brought another image onto the screen. It was of the same girl, standing beside the guy Tommy called Adam. In the background was the Command Centre, just before it exploded.

"She was going to be a Ranger."

Jason read the full article while Tommy went to get them both some breakfast. It sounded utterly insane, but then so had the very concept of Power Rangers. An apparent monster had appeared in the city, attacking a teenaged girl and then vanishing. There were several witness reports, but only one blurred picture of the creature that could easily have been someone in a rubber suit.

It probably was a fake, but it was a weird coincidence that the victim was someone who would have been a Ranger if things had gone differently.

"It's probably nothing," Jason said when Tommy returned with bowls of cereal. He didn't sound completely confident because, frankly, he wasn't. He hadn't believed Kim when she'd talked about the Rangers and he knew now he'd been wrong. If Tommy thought that something was up, maybe he ought to trust that.

"I know what Billy showed us," Tommy said, "I know we destroyed the Power, but I was told I'd lost my powers forever at least twice. I don't want to take it for granted."

"You think the monsters could be coming back?"

"I don't know. I do think that the dreams might be a warning. Briarwood's only a few hours drive away. It can't hurt just to talk to this Madison and see what really happened." The last sentence sounded more like a question, as though Tommy wasn't quite certain and wanted to know Jason approved.

"When do we leave?" Jason asked.

"We?"

"You don't think I'm going to let you do this alone, do you?" Tommy had been a Ranger or involved in them for most of his life, Jason couldn't remember even a second of it. He didn't want to be left out again.

"I'll just get some things together. We'll leave today."


	3. Burning Part Two

**Burning Part Two**

The fire burned inside him; a power too great to be contained. It tore at his insides, surging through him, building in magnitude until the pressure grew too much. It burst out, tearing a hole in his soul as the energy flowed out into the world to find new souls to inhabit.

He felt himself seeping out through the gaping wound in his being.

He tried to cling to who he was. In the rage of the surging energy, it would be easy to lose himself.

He clung on, despite the fire and the pain. Feeling who he had been slipping through his fingers like sand, he tried to remember. He tried to remember who he was because once it was gone, it would be lost forever.


	4. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Jason had insisted on driving because he didn't want Tommy falling asleep at the wheel. He wasn't sure he was completely awake himself, but Tommy was thoroughly exhausted. He dozed off partway down the highway and Jason got the first idea of how bad the situation really was. He'd barely noticed that Tommy had fallen asleep when he started shouting and writhing, fighting some invisible enemy.

"Hey," Jason reached across, shaking his shoulder, "Hey, wake up."

Tommy jerked awake. He muttered a thanks. He didn't say what he'd dreamt of; Jason could guess. Maybe he'd been right in thinking this was more serious than just a few nightmares. People didn't usually start having nightmares that quickly, and certainly not every time they slept.

"We'll figure it out," Jason said, "Whether it's monsters or your own inner demons, we'll sort this out."

"Thanks." Jason wasn't sure Tommy believed him, but it was clear the sentiment was gratefully received.

They stopped for lunch at a truly appalling roadside diner. At least it gave Jason a topic of conversation to distract Tommy with as they moaned about the quality of the food. Jason poked at a dry, over-cooked burger with its helping of limp, brown salad and decided that maybe he'd wait until dinner. Then they were on the road again, the distance rapidly closing between them and Briarwood.

"So, do you know where to find this Madison?" Jason asked.

"I couldn't find any address details, but I figured we'd start at the location of the attack. Most likely, it was a place she frequently goes, so someone around there would be able to help us."

"Wow, you planned." Jason probably shouldn't have been surprised, given that Tommy had been up all night, but still it seemed amazing that any sort of plan could be created in that sleep-deprived mind.

"Yes, I can think, you know." Tommy sounded more amused than annoyed, so Jason decided to string him along a little.

"That must have hurt."

"Hey! I'm smarter than you!"

"Says who?"

"Well, there's this "d" and this "r" that I'm allowed to write in front of my name..."

"That doesn't mean you're smart. That just means you were too scared of the real world to leave university."

"Right! That's it! You can insult my intelligence, but I don't have to sit here and listen to you imply I'd ever be scared of anything."

Jason laughed.

"Well," he said, "at least I know I was the better Ranger."

Tommy really must have been tired, because he didn't have an immediate retort for that. "How the hell d'you figure that one out?" he asked after a moment.

"Simple. I, unlike certain other people I could mention, could decide what colour I wanted to be."

That had the desired affect. Tommy laughed. It was good to hear that sound; he'd spent too many days half-awake and miserable because of the nightmares. The combination of friendly company and something to do about things were definitely doing Tommy some good.

It was late in the afternoon when they arrived in Briarwood, but the shops were still open. Jason parked the car and then Tommy led the way to a music store.

"According to the article, the attack happened outside this shop."

"Let's go in."

Jason led the way into the little shop. There weren't a great many customers, but the staff didn't seem to mind. A short-haired girl was at the back, dancing behind a DJ's desk. A guy was slouched in a chair with a magazine, another standing behind the counter. Jason noticed he was staring rather intently at Tommy. He also looked somewhat familiar.

"Hi, can I help you?" asked a third guy, bouncing cheerfully into view from behind a rack of CDs.

"Yeah, we're trying to find Madison Rocca," Tommy said.

The mood of the shop changed in an instant. The girl stopped the music, the guy with magazine stopped reading and got to his feet. The cheerful expression on the face of the one talking to them hardened into something almost aggressive.

"She doesn't want to talk to any more reporters," said the girl, striding forwards. There was no doubt about her position being aggressive.

"We're not reporters. Look, it's quite complicated," Tommy said, "if you could just tell me where I could find her."

"Not going to happen," the girl insisted, "You can go off and bother someone else. Maddy's had enough happen to her without needing everyone turning up to ask her to relive it over and over."

"Ok," said Tommy. Jason blinked in surprise, amazed how quickly Tommy was giving in. "But will you at least give her this."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a disk.

"What is it?" The girl asked, but she was already reaching out to take it.

"There's a video on there. I just want her to watch it. We'll be back here tomorrow if she's interested in talking."

Jason followed Tommy back out of the shop. He could guess what was on the disk. Tommy had kept every shred of information Billy had gleaned from his machine. That disk no doubt contained the video of what they'd seen through the window to the past. The final battle of the Rangers. Like him, Madison would see herself die on a computer screen.

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"What do you think?" asked Vida, staring sceptically at the disk.

"I say we give it to Maddy," Xander said, "If she wants to watch it, it's up to her."

"We ought to watch it first," said Chip, "just in case it's anything important." The others stared at him. "I want to know what it is. He didn't say we couldn't watch it."

"What do you think?"

Nick took several seconds to realise they were talking to him.

"Huh? What?"

"You alright, mate?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, I've just not been sleeping too well lately." Which was the understatement of the century. Every night was plagued with nightmares of horrible monsters and endless battles. He tried to dismiss it as exhaustion, but he was sure that one of the guys who'd just come in the shop had featured in his dreams.

"What were we talking about?" Nick asked.

"What should we do about this disk?"

"I think we should watch it." There was definitely more going on here than just bad dreams and he would reach for anything that might offer an answer.

"Ok then," said Chip, heading for a TV that was currently playing a music video. He shoved the disk into the DVD drive and they stood around to watch it.


	5. Chapter Three

Chapter three

"So, there's an alternate history where we're superheroes and save the world and have capes," Chip was practically bouncing around the shop in his excitement.

"Come off it," said Vida, "He found someone who looks a lot like Maddy, and he's good at computer effects. That's all there is to it."

Nick was thinking about what he'd just seen. He must be either seriously sleep-deprived or inane or maybe both, because it seemed that the idea made sense. And it wasn't just Maddy in the video. He wasn't sure the others had noticed; they'd not said anything if they had. He'd seen himself, standing among the group at the beginning of the video, discussing the reason they'd gathered. He'd seen the figure in the red suit and knew it was him even before he'd powered down and his face was visible on the screen for a few seconds. He'd dreamt that outfit, cape and all.

He'd seen the figures on the screen and he'd known that they were called Power Rangers, before the phrase was spoken.

If history had been rewritten...

"You can't seriously believe this nonsense?" Xander asked Chip.

"Why not? Everyone knows there are some creepy monsters in the woods. Why shouldn't there be superheroes too?" Of course Chip believed. He believed in everything. He probably still believed in Santa.

"It doesn't matter what we think," Nick said, "We should give the disk to Maddy and see what she thinks."

"But this guy's some sicko trying to mess with her." Vida, as usual, was determined to protect her sister.

"Maybe," said Nick, "Maybe not."

"You think it might be real? _You_?"

He didn't answer the question directly. He didn't want to lie to his friends but he had no desire for them to think he was crazy either, which was what would happen if he said he believed this superhero stuff. But he did believe it. Whatever his logical mind might think about the situation, there was something inside him to recognised the Rangers and knew that they had once been real, had once been a part of him.

"This is just a message. You don't think Maddy will be furious if we try and hide it from her?"

"Good point," agreed Vida hurriedly. She glanced at her watch. "Well, we should close up shop anyway, I'll take this to her."

Nick had already decided that, whatever Maddy thought of the video, he'd hang around tomorrow to talk to these guys. It couldn't just be a coincidence that they'd turn up with videos of battling monsters just at the same time he started having constant nightmares about just that.

Nick went through the job of emptying the cash register, logging the amounts and locking away the contents in the shop's safe. Vida and Xander both headed off, leaving Chip to pull down the blinds and make sure the electrical equipment was all turned off. Nick smiled as he watched Chip fencing an imaginary opponent.

"Do you really believe it's possible?" Nick asked.

"Yeah," Chip answered, sounding surprisingly serious, "A lot of weird stuff happens in this town. This monster attack is just the latest. That video was way too realistic to have been faked in the couple of days since the attack and their explanation makes sense of why none of us remember."

Nick stared at the pile of quarters he was supposed to be totalling up.

"Do you believe it?" Chip asked.

"I think I do."

"Great!" All trace of the sudden seriousness vanished from Chip. "Because that means it probably is true and I've always wanted a cape."

Nick couldn't help himself laughing.

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Tommy and Jason arrived at the shop early. Neither of them were quite sure what reaction to expect.

"I just hope that girl's not there," Jason said, "'cause man was she scary."

"Be brave," Tommy said, "remember you're a superhero." He was feeling marginally more cheerful today. He'd managed to get through most of the night before he'd woken up screaming.

"I don't remember, remember?" Jason grinned back.

Madison was waiting for them in the shop. Unfortunately, so were all the others from the day before. Madison didn't wait for them to say anything. She marched up to Tommy and handed him the disk.

"I don't know who you are and I don't care. This is an excellent piece of fiction and you should try selling it to a movie company because I'm not interested."

"Don't you think we should hear them out?" asked the redhead who'd been the first to greet them the day before.

"No, I don't. This whole thing is crazy and I'm not going to get involved."

That was about the worst reaction Tommy could have predicted. "Look, I know it's a lot to take in, but the Rangers were real. We gave up our powers to prevent the monsters ever coming back. If they've found a way, we need to stop them now. Please, will you help me?"

"There's no such thing as monsters."

"You were attacked by one."

"I see more realistic creatures than that on Saturday morning TV."

"I'm not asking you to fight anyone," Tommy said, "I just want to hear what happened to you so that we can figure this out."

"I didn't believe it at first either," Jason said, "but I do now. We need your help to make sure there are no more attacks."

"Why don't you just tell them, Maddy?" asked a dark-haired guy who Tommy vaguely recognised from the video.

"Because if I tell them, the next guys with a weird story will expect me to talk to them too. I'm not going to talk to anyone about it. Ever again. I just want to be left alone."

"But what if it's true?" asked the redhead, "Telling them what happened could save the world."

"You're the one who wants to save the world, Chip. Not me."

"I think you should talk to them," said the dark-haired guy.

"Why?"

"Because I believe them."

There was a brief silence in the shop. Then three out of four of the other teens started asking why at the same time.

"I've been having these weird dreams lately," the guy began. Tommy blinked, hardly believing that someone else would have exactly the same reason to believe in this monster attack as him.

"Let me guess," he said, "You're fighting something you can't beat. You can hear people yelling for help. Someone tells you that you should morph but you can't."

"Yeah. And then the monster kills me. How did you know?"

"Because I've had exactly the same dream every night now for about two weeks."

"That settles it," said the third guy who so far hadn't spoken much to them, "you're as crazy as Chip."


	6. Burning Part Three

There are videos for this fic up on Youtube. Trailer: Dreams of Remembrence, Turning and Paradise.

**Burning Part Three**

The Power was still rushing through him, pouring through his body and out into the world. He burned from the strength of it. Every inch of him was screaming in agony, and something that wasn't physical was feeling it worst. With every moment that past, Power was flowing out of his body, taking with it something that should have been his.

The pain cut deeper than anything he'd felt before as his core self fractured, pieces of his being flying from him and being lost. Oceans of tears boiled away before they could leave his eyes as he felt himself disappearing in this surging mass of energy.

But a part of him was aware of the energy making contact, finding other homes, other bodies to fill. He tried to believe it was worth it as he felt himself burning away to nothing.


	7. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Madison told her story, but it was nothing more than had been in the news. Tommy had been hoping to learn something new, something that would give them a way to find where the monster had come from. But Madison didn't know and didn't want to know.

"So what now, genius?" asked Jason.

"You say there are strange stories about the woods?" Tommy asked the teenagers.

"Yeah!" Chip sounded seriously over enthusiastic, "They say there are elves and goblins and monsters in the woods. They say there's an evil witch who's so ugly that no one can look at her and stay sane."

"So, you've seen her then," teased Xander.

Tommy listened to Chip ramble on with old wives tales and ghost stories and came to the conclusion that having this guy believe their story wasn't much of a vote of confidence.

"I think the best place to start looking for a source of strange power would be those woods," Tommy said to Jason.

"That's a bad idea," said Xander, "I might not believe all the stuff Chip does about the woods, but people who go in there don't come out again."

"We can handle ourselves."

"I'm coming with you," said Nick. Tommy hesitated a moment. He wanted to tell this kid to stay here where it was safe, but that was patronising and somewhat hypocritical given what he'd been through before reaching Nick's age. Besides, he believed that fate or destiny or some higher power guided their actions. If Tommy was being sent the dreams because he was supposed to reclaim the Power, then surely Nick must have them for the same reason. Given the expression on Nick's face, he wasn't going to take no for an answer anyway.

"OK," Tommy said, "but be careful."

"I'll come too," volunteered Chip.

"No," Tommy said.

"But you're letting Nick go with you," Chip whined like a five year old.

"Have you been having nightmares about the Power Rangers?"

"Well... no."

"Look, Chip, the less people who go, the less likely we are to be noticed and so the safer it'll be for everyone. You should stay here."

"But I want to help."

"You keep an eye out for any signs of more monsters in the town and call us if there's trouble."

Chip looked seriously disappointed, but at least he seemed willing to stay now that he thought he had a useful task to do.

"I still say you're crazy," said Vida. Tommy now knew her to be the sister of Madison, which might explain her fierce protectiveness earlier.

"Maybe," said Nick, "but I'm still going."

"If all goes well," said Tommy, "we'll be back before nightfall." He didn't say what would happen if all didn't go well. He couldn't help but think about the fact that he didn't have his powers any more. Karate skills were all well and good, but if there really were monsters in those woods, they wouldn't be much of a help.

Jason drove them out of the town towards the woods, Nick sitting in the back seat, a slightly doubtful expression on his face now that he had a chance to think about his decision. They parked on the edge of the road, near a sign warning them against entering. To Tommy, there seemed nothing particularly menacing about the sight of those trees. It looked just like a regular forest, no scarier than the one he lived in at Reefside.

"You don't have to do this," Jason was saying to Nick.

"Yes, I do."

"You don't either," Tommy said to Jason with a slight grin.

"I'm not going to miss this for anything."

"Then it's settled." Tommy led the way into the trees. There wasn't really any sort of path to follow so it would be easy to get lost. Fortunately, he had a little compass attached to his keys and could check they were still going in the right direction.

"You were expecting to be hiking in the middle of nowhere?" Nick asked, noticing the compass.

"No, but I've been kidnapped or transported to bizarre locations enough times to be prepared."

"Technically, you haven't in this reality," Jason said.

"Details." Tommy pocketed the compass and kept walking.

They'd been going quite a while with no sign of any monsters or anything scarier than a squirrel. Tommy was just about ready to call it quits and head back. Even if there was nothing strange about the woods, he didn't want to get stuck out here in the dark and it would take a couple of hours at least to get back to the car.

"Guys, we should head..." He stopped. He'd turned around to talk to them and noticed the figure standing in the shadows behind them. The other two glanced round, then quickly moved to stand at Tommy's side. Jason was already braced for a fight.

A tall, imposing figure, shrouded in a black cloak, stood there.

Definitely creepy, but so far it hadn't made any threatening move. Tommy decided he wasn't going to let Chip's stories frighten him into believing the first thing they encountered here was an enemy.

"Hello," he said, taking a step forward, "I'm Tommy Oliver."

The figure lowered its hood revealing it to be not some hideous monster, but a woman.

"I," she said, "am Udonna. The white sorceress."


	8. Chapter Five

There's a new video up on YouTube. It's called Where Do I Belong and it's based on the Burning sections.

**Chapter Five**

Nick kept staring at Udonna, when he thought she didn't notice. She was leading the trio through the woods to her home, giving little explanation as to why. Nick noticed that Tommy kept looking at his compass, presumably so they could still find a way out of the woods if things went bad.

Nick had an irresistible urge to trust this woman. But he distrusted that more than he would have done if she'd just been another stranger. She'd admitted to being a sorceress. What if she'd placed some sort of spell over Nick to make him want to trust her?

He told himself that if that were the case, the idea of a spell would probably not even occur to him.

When she'd told them to follow her, Nick had done so without even thinking about it. His first instinct had been to listen to her. He watched the back of her head, but he thought about her face, knowing somehow that he recognised it. He knew who she was. Or at least he should do.

He was still trying to wrap his head around the situation. A few days ago, he would have laughed at the idea of magic. Now he was following a sorceress into a cursed forest with a couple of guys who used to be superheroes in an alternate history. The weirdest thing was, a part of him accepted this easily. Which just pointed to the fact that his subconscious clearly believed in the whole Ranger thing.

Udonna led them to a great, old tree, with had a huge dragon's head coming out of it. Nick wasn't quite sure if the head had been carved or if it had somehow grown out of the tree. Either way, its eyes lit up and its mouth opened at the approach.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, as Udonna started to walk into the creature's mouth.

"It's perfectly safe."

Tommy and Jason hesitated as well, staring at the gaping mouth that the sorceress had just walked into.

"Your call, bro," Jason said.

"Well, it didn't eat her," Tommy said, not particularly confident.

Nick was staring at the dragon's head. Like the woman, there was something familiar about it. He walked a few steps closer and placed a hand on the rough bark. Looking at the thing, it was like seeing something half-remembered from a long time ago. He was fairly certain it hadn't been in any of his dreams and he knew he'd never been here before in his life. Yet he touched the dragon's head and he knew its name.

"Rootcore," he said. He walked inside. Quickly, so he didn't lose his courage half-way there.

The room seemed as though it had grown inside the tree, but there were lights and pieces of technology that didn't quite fit the ancient wood. Udonna stood in the heart of it all, her black cloak gone to reveal a white gown.

"Oh, hello," said another figure, a pretty girl in a long dress.

"Claire," said Udonna, "why don't you go make some tea for our guests."

"Yes, right away." Claire hurried to another door, almost tripping as she passed through it.

"Claire is my student."

By this time, Jason and Tommy had followed Nick inside. They were looking around at their surroundings, but with none of the disconcerted recognition Nick felt.

"Do I know you?" Nick asked Udonna.

"I am certain we have never met in this world. Whether we met in another remains to be seen."

"You know that history got rewritten?" Tommy asked.

"I suspected it," Udonna said.

"There was a monster that attacked Briarwood a few days ago. Do you know where it came from?"

"There are two worlds that lie side by side. Your human world and a world of magic. There are many creatures that inhabit this world and not all of them are good. A great, evil power was sealed away years ago after a huge battle. But now, that evil is beginning to return and it seeks to dominate the human world. There ought to be a power of good to stop it, but that power is missing."

"But when we ended the morphing grid, it should have ended the monsters," Tommy said.

"There are many powers in the multiverse. The power you call the morphing grid is just one. The evil now rising draws its power from a magical source."

The last two words seemed to echo in Nick's ears for a moment. "Then can't you use the magical source to create Rangers to fight the evil?"

"If the evil were only in this world, I could. But the magic I can provide cannot sustain a Power Ranger in the human world."

"There must be something we can do," Tommy said, "We didn't come all this way to be told we can't fight these new monsters."

"There may be a way. This is a place, outside of any world, where all things can exist in potential. The power you seek might be found there."

"So how do we get there," Tommy said without even a moment's hesitation.

"I can send you there, but I cannot bring you back. And you should know that it's only the good powers that exist there. All the evil you kept from existing in this world will be waiting for you."

"Every monster the Rangers ever fought?"

"That's not all. Even if you do find a way to reach your powers, it won't be easy to bring them back. You would be changing the very fabric of the universe. Such things cannot happen without a price."

"I'm still going," said Tommy. Nick noticed that the 'we' had changed to an 'I'.

"Um... Udonna," Claire came back into the room somewhat nervous, "I found these two..."

The two were a couple of people, a young woman in a pink dress and a guy in a blue shirt maybe a year or so older than Nick.

"Hi," said the woman, "what did we miss?"


	9. Burning Part Four

**Burning Part Four**

The rush of energy through him stopped abruptly. The sudden shock of it made him fall, body crumpling to the ground. The power was too much for anyone and now the effort of even standing upright was too much.

He still burned. He was no longer a conduit for cosmic energy, but he could feel it surging inside him. Every part of him was hurting as well as that intangible loss as who he was slipped away through the wounds. He didn't have the strength left to hold on and more pieces was lost to the furnace of power that blazed within.

He heard voices.

Actually working out what they said would be too hard. He could feel the power inside him, in touch with the whole of the universe. He was aware of every part of it. When knowledge was on the scale of galaxies, something small and human was difficult to focus on.

Hands turned his body over and he barely felt it. He could just feel the mighty ages of power that he now had contact with. It filled him until he thought he might burst from its strength. It was inside every part of him, until there was no room left for the him that had been.


	10. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

"Dark and creepy," Nick said, as they looked around at the place Udonna had transported them to. It certainly seemed to fit the description. Caves and tunnels wound their way into the distance, lit by a slight greenish glow that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"No one say it," said Tommy.

"Say what?" Nick asked.

"It's at this point someone says 'Well at least there aren't any monsters here' or words to that affect and ten seconds later we're in a huge battle."

There were sounds in the distance, faint but rapidly growing louder. Tommy could feel the others looking at him.

"You said it, bro," Jason teased.

The things that emerged from one of the many tunnels were amazingly familiar, but a sight Tommy had never imagined he'd see again. He heard Kim give an almost laugh.

"Putties?"

"I take it we fight them?" said Nick.

"We fight them," said Tommy, watching the prancing, grey figures. They leapt into the attack.

There was something strangely satisfying about kicking their butts. Some habits just didn't die. Tommy had barely broken a sweat by the time the putties shattered into pieces and vanished.

"That was..." began Nick.

"Don't!" interrupted Tommy, "Don't say that either." If anyone said it was easy, that would be the cue for a dozen tough monsters to leap out of the shadows.

"Which way?" Jason asked.

"What does your compass say?" asked Nick.

Tommy pulled his compass out of his pocket and looked at the spinning needle. "It says it's not working. Let's go this way." He pointed to the tunnel the putties had emerged from. If they were trying to keep the Power from them, this was the logical choice.

They headed down the eerie corridors, alert for the sounds of more attacks. They didn't have long to wait. The tunnel opened up into a wide cave filled with clanking robots. The group paused in the shadows, watching the things moving aimlessly about.

"What are those things?" Kim asked.

"Cogs. You guys ready?"

There was a whispered chorus of assent and then the five former Rangers stepped out of their hiding place. A few minutes later, the cogs were sparking and disintegrating on the cave floor.

So far, so good. But they had no idea how far they'd have to go into this place to find the Power or even if they were heading in the right direction. There could be any number of things here a lot worse than putties or cogs. Tommy tried hard not to think about all the monsters that had nearly destroyed the Rangers when they'd been at full strength.

They walked for some time through twisting passages, only aware they were getting anywhere because the battles they fought were with varying opponents. It was mostly with the small fry, but there were a few monsters in the mix.

They'd been in the caves for about two hours when they met their first real challenge. A strange, scaly, lizard-like creature that Tommy didn't recognise barred their way. The group charged into the attack, but the thing was pretty strong, throwing off their attempts with little effort.

Tommy leapt, a kick aimed directly at the creature's chest. He saw Jason rushing in to attack from the other side. Something wrapped around Tommy's feet; the creature's tongue.

"Switch!"

The next thing Tommy knew, he was looking at the creature from the opposite direction and Jason's blow caught him round the head, knocking Tommy to the ground.

"Tommy!" Jason realised a moment too late what the creature had done.

"I'm OK," Tommy said, scrambling to his feet.

The creature just laughed, dealing a blow that send Justin, Kim and Nick flying.

Tommy almost considered just running. They didn't have to defeat every monster in this place; they just had to get to the Power. Just avoiding and evading the creature they met seemed like a better option than taking each of them on.

Tommy glanced behind him to where a tunnel entrance gaped invitingly.

Someone was blocking it. A figure in shining gold and blue armour stood in the mouth of the cave.

Tommy looked between him and where his friends were struggling against the lizard-thing. Try to fight this new guy before he could attack or stop the lizard beating Nick into a pulp?

"Jinji's shining attack!"


	11. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"Nick! Nick, are you alright?"

There was a ringing in his ears and his head was pounding. Most of his body felt like it would be bruised for months, but he was still alive. He blinked up at the guy in front of him and tried to get his thoughts to clear.

A guy in blue and gold armour was crouched in front of him, a hand reaching out to touch his arm.

"Nick?" the guy asked again.

"Do I know you?"

"Very well, at least as far as I'm concerned. I'm Daggeron, the Solaris Knight." He held out a hand to help Nick to his feet. His limbs ached, but nothing hurt too badly. Just bruises.

"You remember what the world was like before we changed history?" Tommy asked.

"I remember. Being trapped in a place outside of time and space gives one a unique perspective."

"But everyone should have gone back to where their lives would have been if they'd never become Rangers," said Justin, "Everyone else is leading a normal life."

"I was cursed and trapped in a cave," said Daggeron, "If Nick and the other Mystic Rangers hadn't freed me, I would be trapped there still. Your actions didn't destroy the Power in the mystic realm, but they still changed our history."

"I'm sorry," said Tommy, "we didn't know. We thought everyone would be safe."

"You couldn't have known how changing your history would change ours."

"We've still got a job to do," said Kim. Tommy nodded then he looked back to Daggeron.

"Do you know where we can find the Power?"

"This way." Daggeron set off into the tunnels, the others hurrying to keep up. "I haven't been able to free it because I'm trapped here the same as it is. You should know, it won't be easy to get it back into your world. And there are plenty who'll want to stop you whatever the cost."

"We'll do whatever it takes," said Tommy.

Nick followed on behind, still trying to grasp the entire that this warrior knew him in another time. If they found the Power, would Nick remember? He thought about the vague familiarity of Udonna and Rootcore. He'd somehow known them, suggesting that a part of him was still connected to the world that had been lost. Maybe recreating the connection to the Power would be all that was needed to give him the memories he felt he needed.

Maybe not.

Getting his powers back and becoming the superhero he'd seen on the disc might not bring back the month or so of memories he should have experienced. Would he even know how to use the powers?

Daggeron supposedly remembered him, remembered things he'd never done, never had the chance to do. Nick wondered briefly if they could even be sure they could trust this guy. After all, they only had his word that they had been friends before history changed.

Everything was so muddled up now.

Those in front of him came to a halt and Nick nearly walked into Justin's back.

They were at another tunnel mouth, presumably yet another cave infested by monsters lay outside it.

"The Power lies in the chamber that's the other side of this one," Daggeron said, "It will only take one of you to get through to it."

"Let's go," said Tommy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This cavern was huge. And it was filled with creatures Jason couldn't describe and didn't want to. There were more of the cogs and the putties as well as a whole lot of creatures that were slimy or scaly or fury. Most of them looked like rejects from a low budget horror film, but all of them were fierce fighters.

Jason was aware of a gradual movement in the direction of the shadowy whole that would lead to their goal, but every inch was a battle through countless monsters. He was barely able to glance at the others and see how they were doing. Not good, by the looks of it.

Jason was fighting all out, using every piece of karate technique he knew, and still he was struggling not to just be beaten to a pulp.

Was this what life had been like for Tommy for so many years?

And still he wanted it back?

Jason hit and kicked and dodged and ran. He struggled through the mass of creatures, knowing he didn't have to defeat them. He just had to make it to the cave mouth, or hold these things off should one of the others get there first.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been fighting. He didn't know how many of the things he sent flying or how many more had knocked him on his ass. He tried not to think about the odds, or about the fact that it only took one of these things to get lucky once and his life would be over.

Suddenly he realised he was up against the cave wall, opposite where he'd started. He was nearly there.

He took a moment to get his bearings, seeing the others struggling.

He ran to the gaping cave mouth, but something got there first. A monkey-like creature in gold armour and with feathery, black wings barred his way.

"You're not going anywhere, powerless Ranger," the creature said.

Then something blue leapt over Jason's head and smacked into the creature's chest, knocking him flying. Justin landed in front of Jason.

"Go! We'll hold him off," Justin said.

Jason ran into the tunnel. There was a strange, tingling sensation which ran through his entire body when he stepped inside. There were no signs of monsters here, just a long, winding tunnel lit with the same eerie glow as everything else. He ran round seemingly endless bends, gradually becoming aware of a bright glow in front of him.

Then the tunnel opened out into a cave.

He slowed down to an awed walk, staring at the pulsing light which hovered in the centre of the cave. It was so blindingly bright he could hardly bear to look at it, yet he wanted to never look away. It was beautiful.

He closed the distance cautiously, wondering how he was supposed to get it back into the real world.

Jason reached out a hand to touch it.

Something slammed into him!

He fell, rolling sideways and landing awkwardly on the hard ground. He stared up in surprise at his attacker.

"Tommy?"

"I couldn't let you do it, bro?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She said there'd be a price," Tommy said. Then he thrust his hand into the light.


	12. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

The light flowed down Tommy's arm and he started screaming. An ear-piercing yell of condensed agony. His face contorted with the pain, but he didn't try to pull his hand free.

"Tommy!" Jason yelled, on his feet, planning to pull his friend away. But he couldn't get close. It was like there was an invisible wall surrounding Tommy so Jason couldn't get to him. He could only watch as the light covered Tommy's entire body, enclosing him so that he stood a shining pillar in the middle of the cave.

"Tommy, get out of there!"

If Tommy heard, he made no response. He just kept screaming as the light overwhelmed him. Was this the price? This torture?

How the hell could it be worth it?

Jason beat his fists against the barrier and tried to get through.

After a time, Tommy stopped screaming, but his mouth still hung open, his face twisted with suffering. It was as though there was simply no voice left that could express the pain. He stood, surrounded by raw power, filled by it.

Jason felt tears pricking his eyes. Had Tommy known? Had he known what the price would be when he'd shoved Jason out of the way? If Tommy had just been a moment later getting here, Jason knew it would have been him standing their now.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from the Power surrounding Tommy. It struck Jason full in the chest and sent him flying. He lay on the ground, a warmth tingling through his body and his mind filled with images. He closed his eyes and he saw a million memories that didn't quite belong to him. He saw battles and victories, friendships and losses. He saw a whole lifetime that had belonged to another man. He saw himself as the Red Ranger and as the Gold, fighting to stop their history from being destroyed.

He saw himself die.

His eyes opened and Jason knew that he'd been given back who he'd been; given back the Power. He felt stronger than ever before. He felt ready to take on the world. He felt right.

But Tommy was still surrounded by the column of light. Flashes left it, trails of coloured light shooting off down the tunnels or up into through the ceiling. The Powers going back to their Rangers. And still Tommy stood in the centre of it all, his mouth open in a silent scream.

There were footsteps and the others ran into the cave. Jason looked at them and saw some indefinable change. He knew they had their powers back.

"What's happening to him?" Kim asked, the question breathed out full of horror.

"I don't know."

"The Power is using him," said Daggeron, "as a conduit back into your world."

"Is he going to be OK?" Kim asked.

No one answered. They just watched as the light continued to flow.

After some time, it dimmed, and then faded away completely. Tommy crumpled. His legs gave way he just fell to the ground. Jason ran forward, the barrier vanished now with the flow of Power.

"Tommy! Tommy, are you alright?"

Jason rolled him over. Tommy just lay there, eyes closed, unmoving.

"Is he..." Kim didn't finish the question.

Jason reached for Tommy's neck and found a rapid, fluctuating pulse.

"He's still alive."

Tommy's skin was hot. He was burning up, but this was far worse. It almost hurt to touch, it was so hot.

"We need to get him to a hospital or something," Kim was in a near panic.

"Great. I'll call a cab!" Jason snapped. They had no way to get out of here. Jason had just been working on some vague hope that restoring their powers would send them home.

He knew he shouldn't be harsh with Kimberly, but right now it was hard to think of anything but Tommy. Why did he always have to be a hero? Jason remembered now everything that had never had a chance to happen. He remembered a friendship that had made them closer than brothers. He remembered everything Tommy had done for him, and vice versa.

And Jason wished Tommy had just been a little slower in getting to the cave.

"I think maybe we should try and cool him down," Jason said. Kim had come to crouch on the opposite side of Tommy. She touched his forward and frowned at the heat.

"How? We don't have any ice." She looked up at Daggeron, probably hoping that he could offer some suggestions.

Tommy's eyes snapped open.

Kim let out a cry at what she saw.


	13. Burning Part Five

**Burning Part Five**

The fire still raged inside him. He'd held the entire power of the morphing grid inside his body and the strength of it was tearing him apart. It wouldn't stop. It would never stop.

He tried to control it, tried to cool the inferno, but there was just too much.

The power was still inside him. He could see it. He could see the shape of the morphing grid as it flowed through the universes. He saw the brilliant points were the energy was concentrated around a person or an item. He could see them, all the Rangers who'd ever been touched by the Power. He could see colours dancing between them, shining energy flowing through time and space.

He saw another point of concentration.

His eyes opened and he saw the physical world through a blaze of coloured fire. He saw the Rangers, their powers clinging to them in a bright aura of their chosen colour.

He saw them pull away from him in shock.

"We have work to do," he said.


	14. Chapter Nine

We're not at the end yet. There are still a few chapters to go.

There are two new videos up on youtube: Through the Fire and Empty Chairs, Empty Tables. Both contain major spoilers.

**Chapter Nine**

Nick stared at Tommy. He'd stood up and was just standing there in front of them, his face devoid of expression and his eyes...

Those eyes were just freaking Nick out.

"Tommy?" Jason said hesitantly. "Are you OK, bro?"

"There's a monster attacking the city. We have to fight it." Tommy didn't sound excited about the prospect, or worried, or anything. His voice was toneless. Bland facts, with no emotion behind them.

"Tommy, look, something's happened to you. You've got to snap out of it."

"Innocent civilians are in danger." Again, no trace of feeling to indicate that he felt this was a bad thing.

"Damn it, bro! Do you even recognise us?" Jason was sounding frantic. But Tommy was just staring with those blazing eyes, the colour changing every few seconds. Red, green, black, white, those eyes glowed brightly from a face devoid of personality.

"Red and Gold Ranger," Tommy said.

"It's me. It's Jason."

"Yes. Jason. The Red Ranger and the Gold Ranger."

"I'm your friend. You've got to remember that."

Jason was standing right in front of Tommy, a hand grabbing each of the other man's shoulders, trying to force some recognition into that blankness. There was a moment's silence, then the blazing eyes faded somewhat and there was a trace of brown beneath the other colours.

"Jase, trust me."

Jason relaxed slightly. He loosened his hold on Tommy and the tension lessened. He seemed to become aware again that the others were standing there.

"How are we supposed to get to the monster?" Kim asked, "We don't have a teleporter or anything."

"We have me," Tommy said.

The cavern faded around them. Overhead a blue sky formed and pavement materialised beneath their feet. They stood in a city square, tall buildings rising around them, an ugly monster facing them from across the grass.

Nick remembered this! Everything made sense now. So much so that it was hard to believed he'd managed to forget. He'd forgotten the Rangers, the magic, even his Mum!

Now it came back to him.

He was ready to morph and to send this guy flying back to whatever hell he'd come from.

Just a shame he didn't have his morpher.

"Hold out your hands," Tommy said.

Nick looked at the others, seeing them each extend a hand and he did the same. He wondered briefly if Tommy had been reading his mind as a cell phone appeared in his outstretched hand. Not just a cell phone: his spell phone.

The others each held something, gaping at them with the same surprise the Nick was looking at his wand with.

"Well then," Jason said, with a slight grin, "It's morphing time!"

His hands and Kim's moved in a pattern, activating the devices they held.

"Shift into turbo!" yelled Justin, his hands taking a new pattern.

"Magical source, mystic force!" cried Nick, and he felt the Power surging within him. He remembered this. How could he have forgotten it?

Tommy didn't say anything. He didn't hold any sort of morpher. He just walked towards the monster. Coloured light appeared from nowhere, flowing towards him and wrapping around him until it formed bright armour. Red and black, white and green, the colours flowed and shifted. It looked like a Ranger costume, but the colour didn't stay constant for even a second. The style of helmet changed with each moment. For a second, he wore a gold, triangular shield around his shoulders, the next moment, it was just around his torso and decorated with a tiger's head. It was as though several Rangers were trying to exist in one space.

"I guess he really couldn't decide what colour he wanted to be," Jason muttered.

Nick tried not to look at Tommy. The shifting colours were giving him a headache.

The fight was over quickly. Nick fought like he had before the world had changed. He fought like old times, the others kicking and hitting along with him, enjoying the action. This was how they should have been. They should never have let it go.

Nick gave a yell of triumph as the monster exploded. Of course, he didn't really expect it to be over; they always grew.

"Nick!" It was a very familiar voice that yelled his name. Maddy ran over to join him, Chip, Vida and Xander following behind.

"You were right," Maddy said, "I remember."

Nick powered down, the others doing likewise.

"Woah!" Xander caught sight of Tommy's eyes, blazing through his Ranger colours.

"Are you ready to resume your duties?" Tommy asked in that same empty tone.

"Yeah!" said Chip, "I want my cape back! Besides, I don't want to say no to anyone whose eyes are doing that." Tommy's eyes were currently glaring red.

"I'm in," said Vida.

Xander agreed quickly as well. Only Maddy hesitated, but not for more than a few seconds. Then she nodded.

Tommy looked to Kim, Justin and Jason.

"You have done your duties. Your fight is over. It is time to pass on your powers to the next warriors."

Tommy touched each of them over their hearts, a glow in the appropriate colour forming, a part of it clinging to Tommy's hand so a trail of power floated between them. Then he turned to the mystic Rangers and the light flowed brightly into them, a glow wrapping around them, fading as the Power was absorbed into their bodies.

Then they stood there, five mystic Rangers, with Daggeron beside them. As they should be. Nick watched Chip dancing around like an idiot. He watched Daggeron hugging Maddy. His team, laughing and celebrating as their world returned to how it should have been all along. It was wonderful. He was where he belonged again. His powers were back, his purpose was back. His family was back.

He grinned at the universe and then turned back to the veteran Rangers, where they watched with indulgence and regret as the next generation celebrated their powers. What he saw made Nick's happiness fade.

The multi-coloured Ranger costume vanished from around Tommy. He looked at them and for a moment the blankness dimmed. He managed a brief smile.

Then Tommy collapsed.


	15. Burning Part Six

**Burning Part Six**

The Red and Gold Ranger wasn't listening about the monster. He was speaking to him, trying to reach the man he had been. Trying to get through to Tommy, almost begging for some sign that his friend was still there.

His friend mattered more than the fight.

"I'm your friend. You've got to remember that," the Red Ranger was saying.

They were needed now for the battle, but this one would not fight a monster when he thought he had to fight for his friend.

He looked at the Red Ranger and knew what must be done to convince this one to fight. He looked into the fractured memories of what had been Tommy. Basic facts, with no feelings to link them. There was no room left for feelings with the inferno that burned within him. But he saw what he needed.

He pushed the fire down deeper, away from the surface, to the core of him where the pain was more acute. For a few moments, he was able to look out at the world without seeing it through the flames of power.

"Jase, trust me," he said. Then he let the fire engulf him again, letting it burn brightly near the surface of him inside of that white hot blaze in his soul.

The Red Ranger heard the old nickname and believed it was his friend's voice who said it. He believed the implicit lie that Tommy would be safe. He would fight now.

They would all fight.


	16. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

"There's got to be something you can do," Jason said, almost pleading with Udonna. After all, she was the one who'd sent them down there. It was because of her that Tommy was lying unconscious on her bed, his skin so hot that it hurt to touch.

The group had returned to Rootcore along with the Mystic Rangers. It seemed Udonna remembered as well. She greeted Nick incredibly warmly this time, welcoming Daggeron and the teenagers happily. Then she'd seen Tommy in Jason's arms.

"I can perform a freezing spell on him," Udonna said, "but that will only help with his symptoms, I can do nothing about the cause. He allowed the entire morphing grid through him and nobody can survive that."

"I don't want to hear that!" Jason snapped. Right now, he was furious with Udonna. She was the one who had sent them after the Power. If she'd said it couldn't be done, they'd have walked away and they'd be home safe right now. She might have warned them about a price, but she hadn't said that Tommy would be burned alive from the inside out.

"Just do what you can," said Kim, her voice laced with tears.

Udonna nodded. She stood over Tommy and said some sort of incantation. A white light came from her and wrapped around Tommy. For a brief moment, less than a second, there were ice crystals on his skin. But they'd melted and boiled away before she'd even finished her spell.

The light faded and Jason was instantly back at the bedside, reaching out to touch Tommy's forehead. It felt normal again. Definitely not frozen, but not burning either.

Tommy's eyes opened. A pair of brown irises surrounded by white. They were back to normal! Jason could have laughed or cried or danced.

Instead, he quietly said, "Hey. How are you feeling?"

Tommy sat up.

"Take it easy," said Kim, standing beside Jason and putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder, "Lie down. You've had a rough day."

"There's no time," Tommy said, "We have to get to Angel Grove."

"What?"

"Why?"

"Where's Angel Grove?" asked Nick.

"It's where we first became Rangers," Justin answered.

"Just rest a minute," said Jason, his hands and Tommy's chest trying to force him back down onto the bed. It wasn't like he'd been exactly at full strength before he'd gone and got a cosmic energy force burning away his insides.

"There's no time," Tommy said. There was a flash of green in his eyes.

Jason stepped back, no longer pressing the issue. The Power was still inside Tommy. Maybe he knew a way to get it out. Maybe that was why he wanted to go to Angel Grove.

He didn't want to think about the other option, about the fact that Tommy might be rushing because he didn't have much time left. The treacherous thoughts entered his mind unbidden and Jason couldn't dismiss them. The man in front of him now was so different from the cheerful friend who'd joked with him so recently. Jason didn't want to think that maybe that friend was gone, but the thoughts came anyway.

Tommy stood and turned to Kimberly. "Call all the early Rangers you can. Ask them to join us at Angel Grove. Especially Billy. We need Billy." His voice was still empty. Hollow. He spoke, but they were bland statements that can no clue as to whether he was hopeful of his chances, or scared, or anything.

"We have to collect something from Reefside first," Tommy continued.

"Why? What are you planning?"

There was another flash of colour inside his eyes. White, this time. Then there was something on his face that might have been the faintest trace of a smile.

"We have to rebuild the Command Centre."


	17. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Contacting the former Rangers was easier than Kim had anticipated. She'd phoned Billy and he'd kept in touch with Trini. When she phoned Trini, she discovered that she'd already gotten in touch with Zack to discover if her sudden memories were real. Finding Rocky and Adam was harder, but Aisha phoned Kim up. It seemed that everyone who'd ever been a Ranger remembered it and remembered the final battle that had changed history.

All of them agreed to come to Angel Grove.

Kim sat in the passenger seat of her car as Justin drove them back to where it had all started. Her cell phone was running low on battery as she tried to find out a phone number for Kat. The problem was, she couldn't even be sure which country Kat was in.

She leaned her head back against the seat with a sigh. Was it only yesterday Justin had phone her saying he'd been having bad dreams? Was it only yesterday that she'd decided to investigate the rumours of monsters in the hope of shaking her own nightmares? Was it only yesterday that life had still been normal?

She didn't regret it. Not really.

Fighting that monster reminded her of all she'd once been and she was glad she'd had the chance again. The world needed Rangers. Not just to protect people, but to give them someone to look up to. The world needed heroes.

And now it had them again.

Her normal life had been shattered yet again, but in many ways that was a good thing. She was going back home and would be meeting up with old friends who had once meant everything to her. She would be seeing people she'd once come to believe she'd only imagined. They'd be recreating something wonderful.

So why were her eyes filling with tears.

"Tommy..." Justin began hesitantly, "Tommy, will be OK. He always is." But his tone made the statement sound more like a question.

Tommy had been through all kinds of hell, both before and after Kim's memories of the Rangers ended. He'd been through stuff that would make so many other give up, but he'd kept fighting. Kim just had to hope he'd fight his way through this too.

Kim didn't say anything, she just started dialling the next number on her phone. She hadn't finished when there was a beeping of another ringtone. Justin fumbled in his pockets without letting go of the steering wheel.

"Can you get it?" he asked as the car neared a junction.

Kim took the phone. "Hello, Justin's phone."

"Um... Hi," said a rather nervous voice at the other end.

"Hi," said Kim.

"Um. Is Justin there?"

"He's a little busy at the moment."

"Well. My name's Carlos and I was wondering if... if Justin remembers me."

Carlos? Kim knew the name and took a few moments to place it. "Carlos? You'd be green, right?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jason kept sending sideways glances at Tommy, who'd fallen asleep in the car. At least that meant he was finally getting some sleep.

"Zordon!" Tommy snapped awake, jerking up in his seat.

"Bad dream?" Jason asked.

"No." He leaned back against the seat. For a moment there had been something on his face, some emotion. But it had vanished in the instant after waking, replaced with the cold expression.

Jason wished he knew how to help. He wished he knew what to do.

All he could do was drive the car back to Reefside and pray that some option opened up to them. At least he could guess now why Tommy wanted to rebuild the Command Centre. But was that possible? Jason had seen that place blow up thousands of years ago. Even in this changed history, even with the Power back, surely Zordon had to be dead.

The journey passed uneventfully. Tommy said nothing. When Jason tried to start a conversation, the words faded away. It was as though Tommy wasn't quite there. He just sat and stared at the road ahead with eyes that would occasionally flash with one of his colours.

Jason was immensely grateful when they arrived at the house. Maybe now he'd find out what this was all about. He noticed a red car parked out front and a couple of guys climbed out when they saw Jason's car parking.

"Dr O, we remember," said Connor.

"Yeah," said Ethan, "and we phoned Trent and Kira and they remember too. But not Hayley."

"Hayley never was a Ranger," said Tommy.

"Yeah, but she was still one of us. She knew what we were talking about because of the machine last year, but she doesn't remember a thing."

"I could only reach those connected by the Power," Tommy said.

"You did this? I knew it!" declared Connor and held out a hand. Ethan reached for his wallet.

His excited grin faded slightly and he stared at Tommy. Jason was currently standing behind the other man, but he could guess what the boys had just seen. The flashes of colour in Tommy's eyes were getting more frequent.

"What the hell happened?" Connor asked as Tommy walked past them and into the house.

Jason gave the briefest summary he could. "And now we're heading to Angel Grove to rebuild the Command Centre. Want to come?"

"Field trip to where it all started?" Ethan asked, "No way I'm missing out on that."

"Good," said Tommy, emerging from the house with a cardboard folder in his hand, "We'll need all the help we can get. There's not much time."

"Much time for what?" asked Connor.

"Come," said Tommy. He was back at the car, climbing into the passenger seat. Connor and Ethan headed to Connor's car, presumably to follow them on the way. Jason got into the driver's seat.

"So, what's in the folder?"

"Something you'll need." Tommy handed it to Jason. "Most of the money is going to charity, but you get the house."

The fear filled Jason almost completely at the words. He opened up the folder, absolutely terrified of what he would see and desperately hoping he was wrong. The last will and testament of Thomas Oliver.

"Tommy, we'll fight this," Jason said, almost pleading, "We've come through so much. Whatever's happening to you, we'll stop it. You're not going to die."

"Yes, I am."


	18. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

They turned off the road and drove across rough desert in the direction of the Command Centre site. They weren't her only ones. They followed another pair of tire tracks across the dirt. Justin parked at the base of the cliff next to a large van and then he and Kim walked up to the top, wishing there was a better path. Kim was longing for the days of teleportation by the time she reached the top.

"Kim, Justin, hi," they were greeted as they arrived. Billy was there and presumably that was his van down below as he was busy setting up wires and miscellaneous electrical equipment.

"Do you know of any other individuals we should anticipate joining us?" Billy asked.

"Most of the earliest Rangers said they'd be here, as did Carlos?"

"Who?"

"Green Ranger in my time," answered Justin, "How much do you remember?"

"I probably remember about as much as Kim," said Billy, "But I recollect two versions of the battle, one where Jason led the power team, the other with Tommy as the leader after Jason and the others had left for Switzerland."

This was going to be incredibly weird. It had been bad enough trying to work out with Justin and Tommy everything that had happened in the other timeline after her memories ended. Now there'd be potentially dozens of Rangers arriving, all with different knowledge.

"Can we help?" Justin asked, walking over to Billy.

Billy started giving them instructions. Kim didn't have a clue what the point of anything was, but she did as she was told, hooking in consoles and wiring up circuit boards.

"I'm not sure how much good I can do," he said, "Most of the technology that went into the Command Centre was centuries ahead of anything on Earth. I learned to repair what was there, but it will be difficult, perhaps even impossible to recreate it with only what I have at my disposal."

"Right now we don't even have walls," Kim laughed, "I don't expect us to be finished any time soon."

But she kept thinking of what Tommy had said. He'd been insistent that there wasn't much time. How quickly did he expect them to put back something that had been blown to pieces centuries ago?

"Hi guys," a voice called out and Adam and Tanya reached the top of the plateau.

"Justin, when did you get tall?" Adam asked.

"Why is that the first thing everybody asks me?" Justin asked, before consenting to being hugged by the two new arrivals.

Kim introduced Billy and Tanya, as Billy's Ranger memories didn't extend as far as her joining the team. Yes, things were definitely going to get weird. More time passed, with each new arrival accepting instructions from Billy towards the construction of the necessary technology. Equipment and strange machines were lugged up to the top of the cliff and hooked into the rest.

Both Trini and Zack, the instant they each arrived, offered Kim enormous apologies for doubting her when she'd woken up in the hospital. Kim dismissed it, said it was no problem. Intellectually, she had come to terms with it and accepted how ludicrous her story must have sounded. But still there was a small part of her that resented the fact her friends hadn't listened.

She tried not to let it get in the way as groups of past Rangers discussed their exploits, shared their adventures and tried to work out how their memories fit with the rest.

A guy arrived who Kim recognised only from Billy's window into the past. Carlos, the guy who'd died to save Justin. Justin ran over to him immediately, hugging him violently.

"Hey, Justin, let me breathe," Carlos laughed, he stood back to grin at Justin, "Wow, you've grown."

Kim joined in the laughter that greeted that comment.

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"You can't just give up," Jason said.

"I'm not giving up," Tommy answered. He was staring out the front windshield. Jason had to keep reminding himself to keep an eye on the road as he constantly sent concerned glances at his friend.

Jason didn't quite know how to respond. It sounded like Tommy was giving up to him. He'd just announced he was going to die and didn't seem at all bothered about doing anything to stop it.

"Maybe, we can suck the morphing grid's power out of you."

"It's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, remember? If we're meeting up with Billy, he should be able to build something for us to communicate with Zordon or someone else on Eltar. They might be able to think of something to help you."

"I've spoken to Zordon," said Tommy.

Jason blinked. He was sure he must have misheard that. Even if he wasn't dead, Zordon was definitely a long way from this planet. Yet Tommy spoke of talking to him as though it was nothing special.

"What did he say?" Jason asked.

"He told me how my death will happen," Tommy answered, "and what will come afterwards." Tommy turned to look directly at Jason, his eyes blazing again, four colours shining out, changing and merging in rapid succession.

"This is a good thing, Jase."


	19. Burning Part Seven

This is what Tommy was dreaming in chapter eleven.

**Burning Part Seven**

Pieces of himself were scattered to the universe. Fragments of who he had been were drifting out through the cosmos. Some parts that clung on to a sense of identity tried to keep hold of the rest. Fine threads of consciousness reached out and touched the lost and divided dust of his soul. They were so fragile though that some connections had already been lost and more would be gone with each moment that passed. Every one he lost track of would be a piece of himself that would never be whole again.

And all the while, the fire burned.

Every piece, even those scattered beyond reach, were burning in the inferno. It was inside him and he was inside it. The heat was unbearable, tearing away at his focus so that each moment threatened to make him stop seeing his scattered selves, making him lose his grip on those fragments he clung to.

He floated somewhere in the darkness, his being a fractured mirror that wouldn't come into focus. But still he burned. And still he feared.

"Tommy." It was a voice he recognised, somewhere in this darkness.

The face floated too, familiar and comforting despite its strangeness.

"Zordon. It burns."

"You took the whole of the Power into yourself. No one can survive that. Your physical body is burning away."

He knew that was true. He could feel it happening. The fire filled his dreams even as he slept. His body was being destroyed from the inside out. And the rest of him was burning with it, scattered by the Power throughout the universe, he was ablaze. Carried through the morphing grid, the fire touched every part of him.

"Will the burning ever stop?" he asked.

"No," Zordon answered.


	20. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Another car turned off the road behind Jason's and Connor's and drove across the desert. When he reached what was rapidly turning into a parking lot below the cliff, the Mystic Rangers got out of the other car.

"I though you guys were going to get here first," said Jason.

"So did we," Nick replied, "Turns out our zords still work."

They headed up to the top of the cliff where Billy and the others were busy creating the technological core of the Command Centre, even if the rest of the building was non-existent. Jason was greeted warmly by many of the former Rangers and he introduced the Mystics and two Dino Thunders to the rest.

There was a quick discussion, somewhat hampered by the fairly large group of people involved, and then the Mystics got out their cell phones and started magically floating boulders up to form a building around where Billy had most of the others working. Apparently they couldn't conjure out of thin air the technology that Billy was missing. He'd ordered some stuff to arrive at a store in Angel Grove, but no one on this planet could help him gain some of what was needed.

Tommy had stopped insisting on urgency, but only because he'd stopped doing much of anything. He sat down against one of the walls that was still being constructed. His eyes were closed except when someone spoke to him, and then they shone with the colours of his powers. The fire in his eyes was almost always there now, and his skin was starting to get hotter than should be possible. It seemed Udonna's spell was wearing off.

Jason failed completely to concentrate when he was supposed to be helping Billy, but they managed to set up a portable generator so the geeks still had light when the Mystics got the roof on.

Jason headed back outside, ducking a large chunk of stone that was becoming the main door. There were quite a few others standing around here. It was getting somewhat more crowded around Billy now that the walls had gone up. So there were some people with no tasks to do, who didn't want to leave because just about anything could happen.

"Did anyone think to bring food?" asked Rocky, much to the amusement of Tanya and Aisha.

"It wouldn't take that long to go to town and get some," said Tanya.

"Yeah, but I want to be here when Tommy opens a portal to another universe or whatever the hell it is he's planning."

Jason glanced across at Tommy, who'd remained motionless for far too long now.

"We could order take out."

"Delivery address: the cliff in the middle of the desert," Rocky laughed, "And do you propose explaining what we're doing here?"

"We're quite clearly building a set for the filming of my latest music video," said Tanya.

"I don't see quite enough fit dancers in tight t-shirts," said Aisha. Then she leaned her head on one side and looked quizzically at Rocky and Jason, "I suppose we could improvise."

"Not a chance in hell!" Jason declared, trying to put aside his worries long enough to allow some enjoyment of the reunion, "I've seen your videos. I do not bend that way."

"Um, what's that?" asked Carlos, pointing up into the sky.

Jason squinted upwards and saw a spot of light that was rapidly growing brighter. The sky was too bright for it to be a shooting star. It was getting slightly larger too. Either that or it was getting closer.

"Is that a flying saucer?" asked Chip, looking very excited at the prospect.

"No, it's more likely to be a space ship," Connor answered. Jason couldn't work out whether that was meant to be a joke or not.

The light grew brighter and it became obvious that Connor was right. A large object, bright and hot from its journey through the atmosphere, was soon right overhead. Those inside the new Command Centre came out to watch as a grey ship made its landing. Jason thought it looked like something out of an old, low-budget movie. It was shaped a little like a fat egg and came to rest on three legs which looked too spindly to support it.

They were.

Maybe it had come in too fast because one of the legs snapped on impact and the ship toppled, landing with enough force to shake the ground. Jason ran over to it without even thinking. All his memories of aliens and other worlds had come back and his first thought on seeing a failed landing was that someone might be hurt. A hatch opened in the side of the ship, smoke billowing out, followed by a very familiar voice.

"Aye aye aye aye aye!"


	21. Chapter Fourteen

I believe I am owed some cookies.

**Chapter Fourteen**

Kim helped with the carrying of equipment as she was in no way qualified to help install it. Alpha's ship contained huge amounts of gizmos and gadgets that Kim had no clue about but which Billy enthused over. Clearly Alpha had brought with him all the pieces of technology which Billy was unable to provide on Earth. Which left Kim wondering how Alpha had known they were doing this.

She could ask him, of course, but he was too busy helping Billy, as were any former Rangers with even the slightest hint of technical knowledge. She felt somewhat useless.

Billy was working as fast as possible, directing his helpers in their tasks and performing those too complicated for anyone else to understand. The interior of the Command Centre was beginning to take shape. Jason, Rocky and Adam were busy constructing the huge tube where Zordon's head used to float.

Kim wondered if that was what this was all about. Were they bringing Zordon back?

She wondered about asking Tommy, but he seemed to be getting worse by the second. He was sitting in the shade, but she could feel the heat coming off him if she even got close. The Mystics had attempted cooling spells, but nothing was helping. Even with his eyes closed, she could see the light burning through the lids. Whatever he was planning on doing, it had better be soon.

"Trini, get ready to hit that switch," said Billy, busy over controls on a newly formed panel. "And... now!" Lights flickered on around the room. The tube glowed slightly, glowed a bit brighter, and then went dark again.

Billy muttered something that sounded a bit like a swear word. He headed to the tube, made a few adjustments and left Jason standing holding a wire in place part-way up the transparent casing.

"OK, try it again." Trini pressed the switch. This time the tube stayed lit up until Jason shifted slightly because his arm was getting tired.

Kim watched the proceedings from the side of the room. There was a circle of panels much like she remembered although most of them had wires sticking out and were only half finished. Billy was working on getting the main features working, which meant the whole building was a mess and there were wires trailing between everywhere. Carlos had tripped up three times already walking across the room.

Billy called out some instructions to Justin, who was lying on his back underneath the new viewing globe. As usual with Billy's technical speak, Kim barely understood a word. The rest of the Rangers were gathering inside Command Centre, all the equipment now here and in the process of being installed. They stood watching as the geeks continued their work.

The place felt amazingly crowded. There had never been this many people in here. Everyone watched as Billy performed another of his technological miracles. It was hard to believe that just this morning this place had been an empty stretch of rock and dirt.

"We're almost ready to commence initialisation," stated Billy.

"Can I take my hand down yet?" Jason asked, still holding up wires to the side of the tube. His problem was solved with the application of duct tape.

A minute later, several switches were pressed and levers thrown. The whole place lit up with a hum as panels and machines came to life. The tube glowed brightly, but still empty, at the heart of the room.

"Basic operations are functional," declared Billy.

"Good." Everyone turned as Tommy walked into the room. Not only were his eyes glowing, there was a faint sheen of changing colours over his skin. Heat was radiating off him like a furnace.

Those who'd been working on the panels moved out of the way as Tommy came to stand beneath the tube.

"Tommy..." Jason began, "bro..."

Tommy looked at him. "This is the only thing to be done," he said, with perhaps the faintest trace of emotion in his voice. Or maybe that was just Kim's wishful thinking.

Tears pricked her eyes as Tommy looked across the assembled crowd. "You have all served your time as Rangers and have done your duties well. You gave your lives in another time to destroy evil. Now no one remembers your sacrifice. But I know it and I am proud to know each and ever one of you."

Kim didn't even attempt to stop herself crying. Tommy was saying goodbye. There could be no doubt about that.

The light that had been inside Tommy burst out. It blazed from inside him as though someone had just set fire to him. Four colours, shining out through his skin. His arms were flung out, his head tilted back in a silent scream as he burned. The Power streamed out of him, his body subjected to the full force of it.

Kim couldn't look. She turned to Jason and buried her head in his chest, crying uncontrollably. He put his arms round her, but his chest shook slightly with his own tears.

Kim didn't want to turn around and see what was happening to Tommy. She wished she'd stayed at home and ignored the nightmares. She'd been happy enough as a gymnast, without anyone else aware that the Rangers existed. If she hadn't agreed to go to Briarwood, maybe Tommy wouldn't have released the Power, maybe he'd still be alright.

Her mind filled with maybes and might-have-beens as, behind her, a man she had loved was dying.

She felt the change in Jason shortly before she heard the, "oh my god," he uttered.

Kim pulled herself away from him and forced herself to turn around and look at Tommy.


	22. Chapter Fifteen

OK, aside from GinaStar, how many people saw this coming? Be honest now.

**Chapter Fifteen**

Jason didn't even try to hide the fact he was crying. He'd just regained a lifetime of memories of friendship with Tommy and now he was listening to the man say goodbye. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do to help. He wished he'd been just a little quicker. If he hadn't hesitated when faced with the Power, he'd be the one paying this price and Tommy would still have a long, full life ahead of him.

"Tommy..." he tried to think of the right words to say, some way to apologise for the fact he would walk out of here alive. "Bro..." Nothing he said could express the gratitude he felt for their friendship, for the battles they'd fought side by side, for all the million moments that had been shared, both in this timeline and in the other.

"This is the only thing to be done." Tommy was looking directly at him and Jason was convinced there was something of his friend still in the expression, despite the blazing light and the blankness of emotions.

Jason wanted to scream out a denial at the statement. He wanted to rage at the world that had caused this situation. He wanted to yell at Tommy for being such a damn hero and choosing to accept this fate himself instead of just watching Jason succumb. He wanted to run across the room, grab Tommy and beg him to fight this until they could find a solution.

But he forced himself to stand there as Tommy gave his farewell speech, sounding like a true mentor.

The light exploded from inside him and Tommy flung his arms out with the force of it, his head tilted backwards. His mouth opened in a scream but no sound came out. There was just the rush of power burning through him.

Half the occupants of the room were crying.

Kim flung herself against Jason, sobbing uncontrollably. Jason hugged her, a part of him recollecting how often he'd used to hold her before all this. The greater part of himself was furious for thinking of that at a time like this.

He watched the fire burn in four colours.

After maybe a minutes, it became hard to make out Tommy's body within the flames. A minute more and it became clear that there was no body any more, just the brilliant light.

It changed gradually, becoming less like fire, and more like sparkling glitter hanging in the air where Tommy had been standing. It rose.

For a moment, it looked just like bright dust being blown on a breeze, but then Jason realised there was actually a destination. He realised what was happening and breathed out, "Oh my god."

Kim pulled away to look. The assembled group was watching open-mouthed as the shimmering light past through the edges of the tube and settled inside it.

The lights moved inside, coming together, the colours becoming fixed until there was a recognisable face hovering there, surrounded by a green light.

Jason took a step forwards, "Tommy?" He couldn't quite cope with what he was seeing.

But the face smiled down on him, "It's me, Jase."


	23. Burning Part Eight

**Burning Part Eight**

His mind felt like his own again. The millions of scattered pieces had been gathered, pulled together and held in this place. A slight anomaly in the fabric of space-time at this point allowed for the morphing grid's effects to be stronger here. It meant that one who had been spread throughout the grid could find this place and be held here, complete, or nearly so.

There were still some fragments of himself that had been lost. They were out there somewhere, drifting through the morphing grid as a part of the Power. There they would remain for as long as the grid survived.

The rest of him had been reformed as one mind, one soul. Trapped in a slight wrinkle in the universe, he could feel in some way like the person he had been.

But he was trapped. If he left this place, he would have to find another like it or he would never be able to hold on to the pieces of his being. He would be divided again, as he had been when the Power first flowed through him. He would be flung throughout the morphing grid, alive for as long as it lived, but never again a single being.

He had taken the Power into himself. He had become a part of it. He could feel it's flow through the universe, he could see its effects, he could spot those who had used it, both good and evil.

This was the price he had to pay. To live forever as a guardian of the Power or to be lost to it, incorporeal and insubstantial.

He hadn't imagined this when he'd touched the Power. He hadn't imagined the strength of it burning through him. No physical body could survive that onslaught. Not Zordon, not Lord Zedd, and not him. He had burned to nothing, but still he was here.

While the Power lived, he would always be here.

And the burning would never stop.


	24. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen: Final Chapter**

Jason was home. His home now, technically. He opened the door and stepped inside, feeling the silence wrap around him. There was no murmuring of TV as Tommy watched yet another dinosaur documentary. There was no gurgle of the coffee machine. Not even the faint whirring of the computer.

It shouldn't hurt this much. He'd walked into the empty house hundreds of times while Tommy was at work. Somehow, this time it felt emptier.

He walked through to the kitchen and saw the little whiteboard. There was an envelope balanced on top of it. Beneath it, scrawled in Tommy's handwriting, was the little note to himself, "DO NOT FORGET TO PAY!!!!"

Jason wandered through to the study. It was exactly as it had been left just a few days earlier when they'd first decided to go to Briarwood. It was the same mess: Tommy's papers strewn in an untidy heap on one half of the desk, Jason's neatly filed on the other. The room had been divided unofficially in half, but the mess always spread over in the odd scrap of paper and ancient fossil. He'd have to tidy this up, figure out what to keep and what to throw away.

But not now. He couldn't face it now.

He walked up the stairs and headed into Tommy's bedroom. He looked at the three alarm clocks and the little "to do" list on the bedside table. It had the usual things on there, a note to call some professor about a discovery at a local dig and "pay electricity bill" underlined five times. Little reminders of things Tommy had intended to do when this was over.

He'd left this house imagining he'd be returning to it soon after. Neither of them had dreamed that just one of them would come back.

Jason picked up a book that lay half-finished, an old receipt used as a bookmark. Tommy would never read the final chapters.

Jason sank down onto the edge of Tommy's bed and let the tears flow.

Enveloped in the memory of his friend, Jason broke down.

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Justin opened the door of the little apartment he shared and walked in, still feeling slightly hollow. He knew that Tommy was still alive and would probably live for thousands of years, but that didn't change the fact he'd just seen an old friend burn away into nothing.

The Power was back. They'd done everything he'd hoped they would when he'd left for Briarwood. Now he wished it all away. He wished he could go back to the way it had been before, with half the world thinking him nuts.

It had been enough to know that he'd been right. He could have gone on like that. If he'd just ignored the reports of monsters, maybe Tommy would still be... Tommy. Not some floating head caught in a time vortex.

"Hey, Jus, that you?" called Toby's voice from the lounge, "There's a news report on that might interest you."

Justin followed the sound of the voice and saw bright coloured warriors on the TV screen battling a strange monster. The Mystics had gone back to Briarwood and, by the looks of it, they had their hands full.

"Weren't those imaginary heroes of yours called Power Rangers, too?" asked Toby. Then he looked up and saw Justin's face.

"Are you OK, man?"

Justin didn't answer. His eyes were brimming over with tears at the sight of the Rangers on the TV. This was what Tommy had been willing to sacrifice everything for. He'd given up his freedom and his humanity for the sake of those five teenagers. He'd thought it worth it.

Justin remembered the friend who'd messed about with car engines, trained kids at karate and just _lived_. Justin wished he could believe the price had been a fair one.

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Kim got home and found five messages on the machine from her coach, furious at her for missing training. It didn't matter.

All her life, she strove for brilliance at gymnastics, working so hard for that dream of gold. Now she knew how insignificant it was. Tommy had given up his dreams, his life, for something that was more important to him. He'd wanted the Power back so much that he'd given away everything.

Kim found the old photograph, two halves unevenly faded. She framed it, a constant reminder of what had been. Now she stared at the two pieces, the jagged line of the tear that separated her and Tommy.

She'd thought it hard to lose him when her friends had told her he didn't exist. Now, she knew he was still alive, was a part of the Power she could still feel traces of inside her. Yet it was harder. Because whatever he'd become, it wasn't the kind boy she'd known or the solemn teacher she'd met later. He was still alive, but he'd become something so completely _else_ that she couldn't even bear to look at him.

She'd left the Command Centre almost immediately, while the others were still trying to grasp what was happening.

It hurt to much to look at Tommy, just a face in a tube, and remember all he had been. He'd worked so hard on that body, training for martial arts almost as hard as she practiced with gymnastics. And yet he'd let it burn away.

Kim hugged the photograph to her chest and sobbed.

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The Mystics watched yet another monster go up in flames. It was hard to celebrate, knowing what it had cost to bring them to this battle. Nick turned and saw the news team and their camera. Before, they'd always tried to avoid the cameras. Now, he had something that needed to be done.

"Excuse me, could we have a quick word?" asked the reporter, "Who are you, what was that thing and do you intend to keep defending our city?"

"We're the Power Rangers," answered Nick, "We are given our abilities in order to defend the innocent and protect this world."

"Can I just say, that I think you are true heroes," the reporter went on, clearly hoping to gain the interview of a lifetime through flattery.

"There have been many Rangers over the years, we've just the latest. The Power that gives up the ability to help people was lost. It cost an extraordinary man his life to bring it back." Explaining about the morphing grid and the fact he was still, technically alive would be too complicated.

"Who was this man?"

"Dr Tommy Oliver," Nick answered, "A high school science teacher. Thanks to him, we are here and in a position to save lives. He is the true hero."

It was a small gesture compared to everything he'd given up, but the world deserved to know the truth. While the Rangers fought, they would speak the name of Tommy Oliver as the one who had given them everything. Tommy was a hero again, but this time the world would know his name.

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for sticking with me this far. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed. Really, really thank you. I don't send personal replies nearly as often as I should, but I do love getting reviews.

If you've enjoyed these stories, please don't forget to go to Hope for the World Fanfiction Awards and vote for Forgotten Power.


	25. Announcement

A new science fiction thriller is coming out this month.

Child of the Hive


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